The La Cañada High School varsity girls’ volleyball team opened the regular season last week intending to remain unbeaten in the Rio Hondo League, defend its back-to-back league titles and return to the CIF playoffs.
Guided by the core of seniors including Haley Clark, Tatum Purdy, Chloe Nussbaum, Maya Dingle and Emma Reed, paired with the leadership of head coach Laura Browder, LCHS fostered a belief that the team could seize its first CIF title since the 2008 Brock Turner-led Spartans.
“The girls understand there are expectations in the air where in years past we had to cultivate that,” Browder said. “Obviously we want to win our league again because that positions us to have a better playoff seeding. We definitely see ourselves as contenders in DI, DII and I would like to see us get to a place in CIF that we are at least in the state tournament, if not winning CIF.”
The journey toward a coveted CIF championship won’t be without its share of challenges. Browder has meticulously comprised La Cañada’s nonleague schedule, deliberately pitting themselves against formidable DI/DII schools like Alemany High of Mission Hills and Chaminade High of West Hills. These nonleague showdowns will serve as a crucible before clashing with South Pasadena in a pair of Rio Hondo League confrontations. A notable twist this season is the Spartans’ inclusion in the Durango Fall Classic and Las Vegas Classic after a five-year hiatus.
“We always love playing South Pas; they have a bunch of talented club players that are really good friends with a lot of our girls, so I am always expecting a heavyweight showdown,” Browder said. “I only scheduled teams that I felt could beat us; I made our schedule in a way that we should lose one match per week. I’d rather lose before playoffs because, really, we’re going all in this year. I think losing early is a gift — it exposes weaknesses in your team and gives you a chance to grow and develop. When you win so much it’s easy to get complacent.”
A decisive factor in La Cañada’s success rests upon the on-court performances of three-year varsity standouts Clark, Nussbaum and Purdy — a trio that Browder refers to as “the triplets.”
Spearheading the group is Clark, who was last year’s Rio Hondo League MVP. She aims to replicate her award-winning numbers with 354 kills (.403 attack percentage), 202 digs, 44 aces, 41 blocks and 31 assists.
“It takes a whole team and not just one person to win and be successful, so I think for this season it’s really important that we all work together as a team and not as individuals,” Clark said.
Purdy will once again embrace the role of primary setter where she amassed a team-high 820 assists with 187 digs, 53 aces, 42 kills and 13 blocks last year, culminating in an all-league second team selection. She will also have the unique privilege of sharing the court with her younger sister, Maya, an incoming freshman.
“I think it’s exciting; it’ll be a competitive and fun environment,” Tatum Purdy said about the prospect of playing with her sister this season. “Haley and Chloe are also pretty close with my sister so I am definitely excited to have the opportunity to play with her.”
Nussbaum, who committed to the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, was heralded as the league’s Libero of the Year last season after posting team-best marks in digs (438) and aces (69) with 102 assists. Browder said her Division I libero has made noticeable improvements during the offseason and will be an unstoppable force on the court.
“I am more vocal in the back row. As a libero, you have to be the leader of defense so I think it’s important to be loud, call your ball and get every ball that you can,” Nussbaum said.
Additionally, the Spartans eagerly await the season-long contributions of Ashby Zubchevich, whose playtime was curtailed last season due to the CIF transfer rule. Despite appearing in only 51 regular-season sets, Zubchevich’s performance dazzled with a team-leading .433 attack percentage (190 kills) and 83 digs, garnering her second team honors.
“She has grown in confidence, swag and skill, she has refined her back row attack, her serve and her passing,” Browder said. “I think she is a gift and a dynamic force.”
LCHS swept Torrance, 25-18, 25-20, 25-23, and Long Beach Poly, 25-21, 25-18, 25-19, at the Lakewood Molten Classic last Saturday; match summaries will be included in next week’s issue. The Spartans will host Hart High of Newhall for their nonleague home opener on Monday at 5 p.m. before visiting Alemany High in Mission Hills the following day.
First published in the August 17 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
